Starfleet
Starfleet is the deep-space exploration and military force employed by the United Federation of Planets. Often described as a "peacekeeping armada", its primary functions include advancement of Federation knowledge of the galaxy, advancement of Federation science and technology, military defense of the Federation, and Federation diplomacy. Due to the primary mission of deep-space exploration, Starfleet crews often encounter new cultures and civilizations previously unknown to the Federation. In these instances, Starfleet officers act as representatives of the Federation. Starfleet ships are also often used to transport ambassadors on diplomatic missions. History Pre-Federation Before the founding of the Federation in 2161, Starfleet was the primary space exploration and defense force of United Earth. The primary authority was referred to as Starfleet Command or the United Earth Space Probe Agency (UESPA), and its headquarters was located in San Francisco, Earth. It is thought that Starfleet was formed in the late 2120's or early 2130's, but no precise date is on record. The primary purpose of this early Starfleet was exploration, "to seek out new life and new civilizations" and "to boldly go where no one has gone before". (This quote is attributed to Zefram Cochrane.) Some Starfleet personnel worked with the United Earth Diplomatic Corps. In 2153, following the Xindi attack on Earth, it was decided that Starfleet vessels would begin carrying Military Command Assault Organization (MACO) units on board. This was a step forward in truly uniting the missions of exploration and defense under Starfleet's banner. An important project in the early days of Starfleet was to develop a viable, fast interstellar engine to allow ships to travel out from Earth over considerable distances in a short period of time. Despite interference - or refusal - from the Vulcans, Earth scientists were successful in producing the warp five engine in the late 2150's. Article 14, Section 31, of the United Earth Starfleet Charter made allowances for rules to be bent during times of certain threat. This clause was the seed that grew into the infamous Section 31. United Federation of Planets With the founding of the Federation in 2161, the joint missions of exploration and defense were merged completely under Starfleet. Until as late as the 2290's, some aspects of Starfleet still reported to the UESPA, but by the 24th century the UESPA had been completely replaced by Starfleet Command, answering directly to the Federation President and Federation Council. Organization Direct commanding authority over Starfleet belongs to the Federation President. In addition, the Federation Council will often directly influence Starfleet operations and has even issued orders on occasion. The day to day operations of Starfleet are handled at Starfleet Command, by the Commander in Chief. Commander in Chief The Commander in Chief oversees all Starfleet operations and reports directly to the Federation President. For a time in the 2370's, the Commander in Chief posiiton belonged to the President, but it has since been re-established as a military position, held by an Admiral or a Fleet Admiral. Starfleet Command Starfleet Command is the operational authority of Starfleet. Positions at Starfleet Command consist of the overall department heads and the Chief of Staff. Sector Commands Sector Commands oversee Starfleet activity in their respective assigned sectors. Sector Commanders report directly to Starfleet Command. Starfleet Academy : Main article: Starfleet Academy Starfleet Academy is a facility that trains new Starfleet officers. This training takes place over the course of four years, and successful graduates become Starfleet Officers. Branches and Agencies *Judge Advocate General *Starfleet Advanced Technologies *Starfleet Corps of Engineers *Starfleet Intelligence **Strategic Services Agency *Starfleet Medical **Starfleet Medical Academy *Starfleet Operations *Starfleet Research and Development *Starfleet Shipyards Operations *Starfleet Security *Starfleet Science *Starfleet Tactical Personnel Starfleet personnel are organized in a military rank structure. Personnel fall into two groups: enlisted personnel and officers. Starfleet Officers take the Starfleet Oath, part of which is a vow to seek out new life. Officers Starfleet officers function as commanders and directors of the fleet's operations at all levels. The most senior ranks are called Flag Officer ranks. *Fleet Admiral *Admiral *Vice Admiral *Rear Admiral *Commodore/Rear Admiral Lower Half Sector Commanders and members of Starfleet Command are all flag officers. A flag officer may also command a starship or starbase, but this is rare. The remaining ranks are Line Officer ranks. *Captain *Commander *Lieutenant Commander *Lieutenant *Lieutenant Junior Grade *Ensign Officers graduate Starfleet Academy at the rank of Ensign and achieve higher ranks over the course of their careers. Physicians who graduate from Starfleet Medical Academy or who attended a civilian medical school before attending the academy graduate at the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. Enlisted Personnel Personnel who did not attend Starfleet Academy enlist in Starfleet and go through boot camp, training for their specific fields. They have their own rank structure. *Master Chief Petty Officer *Senior Chief Petty Officer *Petty Officer First Class *Petty Officer Second Class *Petty Officer Third Class *Crewman *Crewman Apprentice *Crewman Recruit Enlisted ranks above Crewman are called non-commissioned officer ranks. Facilities Aside from its headquarters on Earth, the Federation's capital planet, Starfleet also maintains facilities throughout Federation territory. Starbases Starbases are facilities for resupply of Starfleet ships and relaxation of starship crews. Starbases are maintained through Federation territory, and a few exist outside the Federations borders. They may also serve as research or defense outposts. While some starbases are maintained in deep space, far from planets, others may be built and maintained in orbit around key planets. Starbases may also function as Sector Commands. Shipyards Starfleet maintains a number of shipyards, where new ships are built. New designs are designed and tested at these shipyards before being put into production. *Utopia Planitia Shipyard *San Francisco Shipyard Training Facilities Starfleet has Academy Annexes on a number of worlds, such as Psi Upsilon III. The service also maintains at least one testing facility, located on Relva VII. Vessels Starfleets most valuable asset, apart from its personnel, is its vessels. Starships Starships form the backbone of Starfleet. These warp-capable vessels are capable of carrying out and supporting Starfleet's primary missions: exploration, military defense, supply transport, and providing medical care. Some starships are designed to be multi-purpose while others are designed for one primary function. Starship classes are continually designed and re-designed as Federation technology advances. Other Vessels Starfleet also operates vessels other than its starships, most notably several variations of shuttlecraft. Some shuttlecraft are equipped with a rudimentary warp drive to increase their usefulness. Time Vessels Intervention by the 29th century Starfleet into the 24th century revealed advanced vessels from that timeline. In the 29th century, Starfleet has another mandate: preserve the timeline. It uses timeships to accomplish this mission. General Orders and Regulations Starfleet is governed by the Starfleet General Orders and Regulations. This set of guidelines governs all aspects of the service and covers all possible situations that personnel might encounter, from everyday protocol to standard operating procedure for first contact with a new species. The most important of these guidelines is General Order One, the Prime Directive. At least one directive, the Omega Directive is restricted so that only certain officers may know it. See Also *United Federation of Planets *Strategic Services Agency *Starfleet Academy *Starfleet Command References *Starfleet at Memory Alpha Category:Starfleet Category:United Federation of Planets